Monday, April 27, 2015

Thank you! And it is a bit weird that I'm not home for my birthday, however their are some great families out here who have made Elder Cellis and I feel at home during our birthdays. One of those families are making spicy lasagna on Wednesday! I'm pretty excited for that. And yes, I figured since the bike would be expensive it would be best if I got it at least close to my birthday that way you wouldn't have to worry about getting me anything..but you did and thank you.I'm really proud of you and your bowling news...too bad I can't practice because now when I get home you are going to destroy me...your going to destroy all of us .

I can't wait to see the flower bed. As for the trees I think if he gets two you should make them look like some kind of entry for something. Or you know like on both sides of the house or beside the house where it's inconvenient to mow anyway so you just have to weed eat. Maybe back where the small lawn mowing shed is you could plant them in front of but along the fence. Orrrr you know what you should do if you plan on living in that house for the rest of your lives. Save up for a fountain in the middle of the front lawn then plant the peach trees to the left and right of it then plant flowers in a color coordinated pattern from one tree to the other in a u shape around the fountain...that would be sick I like my last idea the most

This week was slow which made it, I think that much better because since I came out week after week has been too fast.

Anthony is getting baptized next week! We also had a pretty cool miracle in which one of the bishops put someone on date for us.. it was pretty amazing.

I learned a bit in studies this week. I think the thing that stood out to me the most was when I was reading in preach m gospel, I was studying the third lesson(the gospel of Jesus Christ) and I came across "the light of Christ" in the receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost section. I realized that I had been forgetting to explain in my recent lessons that we all have the light of Christ, that we have the opportunity to receive the light of Christ before we are baptized. So I'm going to apply teaching that from now on. I forget how easy it is to remember everything we need to teach in each lesson but that's why it's so important to constantly study it.

Seminary... Yes, seminary did help me prepare for my mission. Four years of waking up
early to study the scriptures for an hour every day..sound familiar. Yes, so that alone helped prepare me for waking up and studying because let's face it my personal studying wasn't the best. Aside from that we have the scriptures that we memorize. I'd say I find myself quoting along with them a lot or at least the ones I remember and I use them sometimes too. I'd definitely advise the youth to actually memorize them and not speed memorize them where you forget them the next week. I know Tori did the best with that and some others but
still I did the worst every year because I didn't actually put them in my brain which is the purpose of scripture mastery. Elder Celis said it helped him with scriptures and they role played because they were supposed to do something missionary minded every day. As for the week, the week was good and it became great towards the end. We had several appointments planned throughout the week several of which we got calls asking to postpone them due to weather. Which I'm very thankful for. However we did get several lessons in last night and a couple in on Saturday. Hayden fell off date but I'm not worried I know he is almost ready. We have Anthony on date too and I really love his faith and determination to be baptized. He brings me a lot of
hope and joy.

We were on foot for three days due to the surprise weather and it was actually kind of fun. Elder cells and I got to talk a bit which is pretty impossible on bikes.

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Our investigators are doing good, we only have four progressing and two truly progressing. We are kind of teaching the preacher still but it's been difficult trying to find a good time.

Another great week. Well it was slow with lessons but we had some pretty amazing miracles. One of our ward mission leaders has been pushing the 21 day promise and he has also been working with us a lot. It has been amazing as we have gone to several people and two of them, less active, said we've been waiting for you. Wow! That really boosted me up. Not only that though, we also contacted a referral that Elder Celis got a while ago and it was amazing. The lady got to the glass door and said, " here we go " which I totally thought meant oh my gosh not the missionaries again. However, when she opened the door man, I think she started crying. She said she new why we were here and she had been waiting for us and that she was ready but her husband would be totally against it. But we have an appointment with her this week. I'm really excited for her.

Studies were great this week. I used a lot of the time preparing for a talk for a ward but I'm not going to lie, I didn't use any of it and went a whole different way but I was pretty proud of myself. I gave a fifteen minute talk and I've never done that before. I feel so much more confident now with giving talks.

Oh and I fractured my thumb, but a whole lot of blessings because I didn't break my hand or foot.

Friday, April 10, 2015

More often I look back on seminary now that you are a seminary teacher but I usually think back on when Brother Phillips taught us. He was amazing and really knew how to get your attention and help you learn. And of course I remember dad talking about his mission companions and I hope that I will be able to stay in touch with mine when I get off my mission.

My week was slow but pretty good anyway. We didn't find any knew investigators but we sure as heck planted seeds. We had a lesson with someone who asked to learn about the gospel yesterday but unfortunately as we were leaving a family to go to that appointment, someone on the opposite side of the apartment building we were at collapsed. So we and Sister Morello and her boys called the police. They dispatched the paramedics and firemen out. Man...when I saw the firemen I just thought of dad and I was really happy. I almost felt as if I was at a scene with him just watching from the background. I think that's the first time I felt homesick. I really love you guys and miss you a lot.

And oh boy conference! It was amazing there were a lot of really good speakers and talks (that I haven't even heard from before). But the one that was closest to my heart was that of the prodigal son.

Friday, April 3, 2015

Mom - I love you too! And I can feel every prayer that comes my way and I hope you know I pray for both of you everyday for joy, for peace, for success in what you are doing. Because believe me those seminary students are going to look back on what they have learned at some point and they will be very thankful that they had a teacher who loved them and cared for them and most importantly knew how vital there relationship with there Heavenly Father is.Also, are you guys going to cassandra's wedding...oh man that feels so weird to type. Her wedding. I'm really disappointed that I'm not going to be there. Please, if you do go, record it all and send it to me I wouldn't want to miss it. Although they chose probably the best month to get married in. They just should have changed the date to the 29th

Dad -I didn't even know you still had your diesel haha I thought you had to sell it but it's awesome that you do have it. I'm very glad to hear that you all are doing well.

I miss you all loads. Lots of talk on family has been coming up and it made me think of you guys a lot. Oh I don't know if it was just in the stake I'm in or everywhere, but there was this one and a half hour long, I'll call it seminar for lack of a better word, for the youth and parents about pornography. We weren't able to go due to work, however, I heard it was amazing, inspirational, and loaded with the spirit. If you guys ever get a chance to go to one near you even though your empty nesters you should go.

On that note here was my week!

Another really great week. Another really fast week, however, very memorable. I don't think you can easily forget those you meet while on you mission. And I have met some very amazing people on of whom I was able to get acquainted with just last night. His name is Anthony and wow, what an example he is. So many trials in his family, in his life, and just the happiest person ever. He has a tremendous amount of faith, hope, and desire. He has wanted to be baptized since he was 16 and his father wouldn't let him but he pushed onward and kept going to church and exercised patience and now he can be baptized. I wish you could have felt the spirit there through the lesson with him and his friends. And his excitement when we set his baptismal date. We have talked about what true joy is and what brings it about and hat was some true joy and just amazing.

It was a very busy week also. Lots of appointments but also a lot of finding opportunities. We did a lot more of opening our mouths and just really talking to the people on the streets. Following prom rings of where we need to go this week more than I feel we were before. And following Elder Celis's promptings we found an investigator. That experience was pretty cool. He was just sitting on his porch and we were riding up the sidewalk. We thought he was less active so elder Celis asked if I could get some practice since I was still pretty new which 6 months isn't to new but I definitely could always use more practice and so I started talking to him about families and the restoration trying to get his views and experiences from what we were talking about and elder Celis was on the phone which later I found out he was talking to the bishop and it turns out the guy wasn't a less active he was a non member and we got a return appointment with him. What an awesome miracle!

In studies I found myself actually drifting a lot and getting pretty side tracked. But I was reading my missionary purpose and I guess what I would say I learned or really just reemphasized on this week was staying focused. I know how important studies are. They help you a lot but more than that I find that they are most of the time exactly what I needed to study that day because it's exactly what someone needed to understand and I can explain it more clearly because I've just re taught myself it that morning. Therefore it is exceedingly important to effectively use our study time which we have been given. Who would want to take the chance on missing inspiration that comes from it? This is what I learned this week so I am going to apply this daily.